After hearing great things about the Fisherman's Arms at Docklow Sunday Carvery, I decided to check it out for myself and take the family. This is what we thought.
From the moment you drive off the A44, Bromyard road from Leominster onto the drive down to Docklow Pools, you know you are in for something a little bit special. The beautiful tree lined drive takes you down, until out of nowhere the cosy looking Fisherman's Arms appears on the right hand side.
First thing we noticed were how many cars were in the car park- in January too, it appears it maybe a tight month, but people can always find a bit of money for a good Carvery on a cold winters afternoon, but did the Carvery, atmosphere and staff live up to the hype?
The answer - A resounding YES!
From the moment we walked in we were greeted by a friendly smile on the door, who showed us to our table. One of the best things about the Fisherman's Arms is how it mixes the beautiful traditional surroundings of a quaint Herefordshire Inn, with the more modern, larger rooms equipped with a large wood-burner. Each room has a unique style and wherever you will sit, you will feel comfortable and warm.
The wonderful Cathy, then came and explained how the process worked, you are called up a table at a time, which is something we really liked as you had time to select your food, and it didn't feel like a cattle market like other Carvery's can feel. The process was smooth and worked well, with all the waiting staff very friendly, (shout outs to Cathy and Charlene in particular) and even though it was busy, the staff seemed to really be enjoying their work, and proud to welcome people.
So the food itself - Any Good?
If the food in the week is anything like the Carvery, we will be trying everyday and every special they have. The chefs serving the Carvery were very pleasant and knowledgeable about the food, even allowing me to have 4 meats - Beef, Turkey, Pork and Lamb. All of which were cooked to perfection, as were all the vegetables, I knew it was good as my daughter tried new foods that usually she wont touch.
Once we had finished the delicious food, we decided to have a stroll round their woodland walk and around the Pools, which were delightful, making the visit more of an "experience" than just a bit of food out.
Verdict. It can be difficult sometimes for places to live up to the hype, however the Fisherman's Arms at Docklow most definitely does, there is so much pride taken with everything they do, and I fully recommend you try it for yourself, we are already planning our next visit to sample the evening menu.
